Jim Devine
Jim Devine | |
|---|---|
| Member of Parliament for Livingston | |
| Assumed office 29 September 2005 | |
| Preceded by | Robin Cook |
| Majority | 2,680 (9.1%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 May 1953 Blackburn, West Lothian |
| Nationality | British |
| Political party | Labour |
James "Jim" Devine (born 21 May 1953, Blackburn, West Lothian) is a Scottish Labour Party politician, the Member of Parliament for Livingston, since holding the seat in the Livingston by-election of 29 September 2005.
Early life
He was educated in Bathgate.
Devine served as election agent to Livingston Constituency Labour Party and to the former MP Robin Cook from the 1983 general election until Cook's death in 2005. He was the Chairman of the Scottish Labour Party 1994-5.
Prior to his election, Devine worked as Head of Health in the Scottish branch of the public sector union UNISON, before which he was a psychiatric nurse, having trained and worked at Bangour Village Hospital in Dechmont.
Parliamentary career
He was selected to follow Cook as Labour candidate in the ensuing 2005 Livingston by-election. He made his maiden speech on 25 October 2005. [1]
He served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Health Minister Rosie Winterton until he resigned in protest at the decision to replace Trident.[2] He is also a member of the Science and Technology as well as the Scottish Affairs Select Committees.
In November 2008, Devine was one of 18 MPs who signed a Commons motion backing a Team GB football team at the 2012 Olympics, saying football "should not be any different from other competing sports and our young talent should be allowed to show their skills on the world stage". The football governing bodies of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are all opposed to a Great Britain team, fearing it would stop them competing as individual nations in future tournaments.
A story has emerged wherein Devine has been accused by his office manager Marion Kinley of claiming £17,000 for vehicle and mileage costs around his constituency while only paying McKinley a small portion of such for the job [3] as well as questions about the validity of receipts submitted for shelving and electrical work. [4]
Personal life
He is separated from his wife, Liz, and has two grown children, Kathleen and Kevin.
References
External links
News items
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